River Castles Tour – 2019

The German Rivers Rhine, Moselle, Neckar and Main and their Castles

For hundreds of years the Rhine has ranked as one of the most popular travel destinations in Europe. This region, truly one of the most beautiful in Germany, was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2002.

Spend plenty of time discovering the river, its castles and ruins, tales and legends and also those of its tributaries Moselle, Neckar and Main. The days are planned to offer you many highlights, but they are leisurely paced with time for you to explore on your own.
Enjoy, relax and let us take care of the details for you.

Itinerary

Day 1 – DEPARTURE

Day 2 – WELCOME TO THE RHINE

Arrival in Frankfurt, Germany. Your flight should arrive at the Frankfurt Airport by 11:15 a.m. at the latest for the complimentary transfer at noon.

When the group is complete we drive to the RHINE for lunch in one of the charming villages on the River.

Transfer to the four-star Bellevue Rheinhotel in Boppard, one of the best hotels in the Rhine area. This Art Nouveau style hotel is situated directly on the river, with a dock at its front door, and has welcomed guests since 1877. We will spend the next five nights here.

You can spend some relaxing moments at the on-site swimming pool and sauna. Health conscious guests can work out at the fitness centre.

Day 3 – CASTLES, CASTLES, CASTLES – RUDESHEIM

Cruising all day on the Rhine on the most beautiful stretch of the river, the part added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. We travel upstream past the Loreley Rock and lots of medieval castles on both sides of the river to most charming RUDESHEIM (Rüdesheim or Ruedesheim in German).

Time for lunch and souvenirs in famous Drosselgasse, and afterwards we take a cable car uphill through the vineyards to the Niederwald Monument. Be prepared for incredible views over the valley.

We re-board our Rhinesteamer back and later have a great dinner in a typical Rheinkeller with wine tasting.

Day 5 – REMAGEN, COLOGNE

Morning stop at the Peace Museum of REMAGEN, located in surviving towers of the former railway bridge which fell into the American hands almost intact on March 7, 1945, but collapsed ten days later under the weight of armored vehicles.

We continue to COLOGNE (Köln), the biggest city on our tour and on the Rhine. See the famous gothic Cathedral, and join the locals in one of Germany's longest pedestrian zones for a Koelsch or a cup of coffee.

Day 6 – MOSELLE RIVER, BURG ELTZ, COCHEM, TRIER

Today we drive upstream along the MOSELLE River, which in scenery, castles and vineyards does not stand in the shadow of its big brother, the Rhine.

Our first stop is the twelfth century BURG ELTZ, rising majestically above the rear end of the wild Eltz Valley, one of Germany's most beautiful castles, surrounded by the river on three sides. Inside visit.

We continue to COCHEM, located on an idyllic bend on the river, where you have time for lunch on the Moselle Promenade.

Then on to TRIER, Germany's oldest city, with lots of Roman sights.
We get a deeper insight into this place with a guided walking tour, which takes you inside the Porta Nigra, a roman fortress from the second century, and the best preserved roman construction north of the Alps. The tour also includes the Cathedral, one of Germany's oldest churches with foundations dating from the fourth century, and the Church of our Dear Lady, the oldest purely gothic church in Germany. All three sights are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Time for dinner on your own in Trier tonight before we return to the hotel.

Day 7 – RHEINFELS, HEIDELBERG, BURGENSTRASSE

Today say goodbye to the Rhine after your visit to RHEINFELS CASTLE in St. Goar and head south to HEIDELBERG, on the banks of the Neckar river. In medieval times the Electoral Palatinate with Heidelberg as the political centre was one of the most advanced European States.

See the beautiful red-walled Heidelberg Castle (Heidelberger Schloss in German), including the great vat, with a guided tour. Afterwards we take a cogwheel train down into the city where you have more time for sightseeing, shopping and postcards.

Tonight we are staying in a typical country hotel in the Neckar valley on the BURGENSTRASSE (Castle Road).

Day 8 – ROTHENBURG, THE ROMANTIC ROAD, WURZBURG

Our last traveling day takes us to medieval ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER in Frankonia, where you feel like you just jumped back into the 16th century. Completely surrounded by its medieval ramparts with countless towers, Rothenburg is famous for its ancient houses, fountains, cobbled lanes, hidden corners and street signs. Also famous for the Meistertrunk, in which -- according to legend -- the burgomeister saved the town by emptying a 6-pint tankard in one single draught.

After lunch we take the ROMANTIC ROAD all the way to where it starts, to WURZBURG (Würzburg or Wuerzburg in German) on the Main River. Take a guided tour of Wurzburg Residenz (Residence), this superb baroque palace, one of the biggest in Germany, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Admire the staircase, the frescoes by Tiepolo, the Hofkirche and the Gardens.

Afterwards you have time to see more of Wurzburg on your own and get your final shopping done. Back to Frankfurt for overnight. Farewell dinner tonight at our hotel.

References

My husband and I just returned from the River Castles tour on the Rhine and we could not be any more delighted.

The ease of traveling on one of Astrid Baur’s tours is phenomenal. She has put great thought and structure into her tours and has made it a wondrous time without any great effort on the travelers part.

She has tweaked her tours to perfection, found just the right hotels and restaurants and visits all the wonderful highlights of the region you are in and gets you there !!

- Patricia Quonce, New York USA

This was a very well organised tour with a small group of seven participants. The tour guide Federico did a fabulous job, ferrying us around, showing us the sights, and educating us about the history of places we visited. The pace was fairly relaxed as the distances to be covered were not great. Five out of the seven nights on tour were spent in the same hotel so there was minimal packing and unpacking to be done. I would highly recommend this tour company for anyone with an interest in history who prefers to travel at a leisurely and enjoyable pace.

- Marie R, Canberra, Australia

I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful time my sister and I had on our third tour with you…. As always, your schedule was well organized and gave us time to see all the sights without feeling rushed. I don't know why other tour companies do not follow your example. Touring with you is a true vacation. We have no worries and feel relaxed when on one of your tours knowing that you will deliver everything you promised. Excellent hotels, good food, wonderful company and knowledgeable tour guides, who could ask for more....

If our dates do not work for you we can arrange the tour for you or your party as a private tour. Same itinerary as above in a private limousine or van, with bilingual, professional private guide / chauffeur. Prices per individual are the same as for the regular group tour, plus a US $ 200 per day private tour premium for the group.

Contact us with your preferred dates and specific requirements at this private tour email link ... or phone one of the numbers below, or write to the address on our
Contact page.